The Barça has initiated contacts with Adam Hanga to terminate the year of contract that still binds both parties, as Xavi Ballesteros has advanced in Catalunya Ràdio. The Hungarian forward is one of the players in the current squad that the coach does not have Sarunas Jasikevicius, which has considerably reduced its prominence in the last weeks of the season. There are also negotiations for the early termination of contracts for Victor Claver Y Leo Westermann.
The initiation of contacts for untying Hanga it only confirms the rumors that circulated around the basketball section for several weeks, already revealed in its day by this newspaper. The Hungarian forward does not enter into Saras’ plans despite his unique versatility in Europe, which has allowed him to play in various positions and even become a base, a role that he has held regularly in the last two seasons.
As well as the close departure of Victor Claver was sung given its little prominence since the arrival of Jasikevicius, that of Hanga it surprises much more. As happened in the previous season under the command of Svetislav Pesic, the Hungarian has acted as a wild card to cover the narrowness in the base position and has ended up signing some respectable numbers in the Endesa League (8.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2 assists and a PIR of 8.2 in 16 minutes on the court).
Hanga was essential for Barça to overcome the quarterfinal playoff of the Euroleague against him Zenith and also in the first game of the Endesa League final against him Real Madrid. However, Jasikevicius’s loss of confidence in him was already noticeable in the Euroleague final lost to him. Anadolu efes, in which he was barely on the track for seven seconds.
Hanga arrived at Barça in the summer of 2017 after a long negotiation with him Baskonia. Since then his career as a Barça player has been flawless, standing out for his professionalism and great commitment to the team. This led him to accept in 2019 an important salary reduction (in exchange for stretching the years of association until 2022) so that Barça had more room for maneuver to undertake the signings of Nikola Mirotic Y Cory Higgins. Since the summer of 2020 he has been one of the three captains of the Barça team.
The risk of a ‘new Heurtel’
Releasing Hanga could be a gift for some of the Barça team’s main rivals. Until three teams that played in the last Euroleague playoffs have been interested in the Hungarian’s situation, you will have no trouble finding a next destination. It should be borne in mind that by receiving compensation to break his contract with Barça, the signing of Hanga (or Claver, in a similar situation) may be cheaper for his next team than if he were free. The Hungarian could ‘make a Heurtel‘, that is, that his next team will pay him below his cache because the rest is compensated by the compensation he receives from his previous club.
And if destiny can also be Real Madrid, who is looking for a ‘three’, the decision to release Hanga implies an obvious risk for Barça.
Here you can see the game played by Davies and Hanga in the second game of the Final Playoff against Real Madrid
